Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
It was only a month ago that the NCAA held the college basketball tournament. And if you're like me, you were glued to your TV set waiting in anticipation to see who would win. What you may not know is that a Utah company provided the specialized flooring for the tournament. And they sell similar products all over the world.
Salt Lake City-based Connor Sport Court offers three main products: wood products, primarily maple sports flooring that you'd see in gyms around the country; sports flooring, made specifically for outdoor recreation; and an indoor synthetic sports surface, typically used in institutions where performance isn't the main focus. The company's outdoor flooring is designed to withstand high moisture and sunlight, which makes it ideal for a variety of environments. Recently, Sport Court received its ISO 9001:2008 certification — a prestigious international quality and safety certification that many European companies have.
Jeff Morton, the company's marketing director, says Connor Sport Court has always had an international presence. The United States grows six times more northern hardwood maple than it uses, making it one of the few countries that can supply the wood. Sport Court products are found in Europe, Asia, South America and many Caribbean countries. In fact, Sport Court remains one of only a few companies to have installations on all seven continents.
International trade has helped the company keep a steady revenue stream during the downturn. Even if the United States' economy hasn't been strong, other countries haven't had as much trouble, which helped Connor Sport Court to take a little less of a hit than other stateside companies. Jeff says the company is always on the lookout for growth opportunities and frequently introduces new products.
If you're interested in learning more about the global marketplace, sign up for the Zions Bank Trade and Business Conference at www.zionsbank.com/conference.
